After travelling half an hour through wooded mountains and lush valleys, we reached the winery of Santa Catarina in the area of Andratx - located in one of the most beautiful valleys of northwest Mallorca. Nestled in the southern foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains, the winery, part of a larger company (Macia Batle), is a real paradise for those who love fine wine. Wine production has been known for hundreds of years in Mallorca. The … [Read more...]
Underground Tours, Seattle – November 2006
Underground Tours Seattle - Bill Speidel's Seattle Underground Tours are well worth taking advantage of when you are in Seattle. Conveniently located in Seattle's Pioneer Square your guide will lead a humorous tour lasting approximately 90 minutes through several blocks of subterranean Seattle. Did you know that much of Seattle used to be 10-15 feet lower than where it is now? These tours provide a unique insight into Seattle's downtown life … [Read more...]
The Beach Culture of Buzios, Brazil
Brazil is world renowned for its beaches. With a coastline of 4,578 miles and beautiful weather nearly year-round, it's not surprising that the small town of Buzios near Rio de Janeiro is a phenomenal beachside destination. Buzios sits on a peninsula of twenty-two sparkling beaches where any day of the week you'll see beautiful people basking in the sun at popular spots or relaxing in the tranquil atmosphere at one of the peninsula's more … [Read more...]
Chocolates, Beer, Bikes & Barges: Adventures for Singles, Belgium & Holland 2006
We arrived to cosmopolitan Brussels with 3 lost bags and 1 missing person. One suitcase went to Moscow but all caught up eventually. Janice and I are led a perfect size group of 39, not too big to get lost in or too small for comfort. Each July trip draws school teachers who have loyally followed me around the world and they do love Europe. We began with a light orientation tour in the historic heart of this capital, followed by a tour of the … [Read more...]
Asian Affair: Sizzling Singapore and Vibrant Vietnam
I've always loved aircrafts and long haul flights. We boarded award winning Singapore Airlines in LAX with about 30 hours of travel time ahead of us. With 8 magazines, 6 movies, 4 meals and a sleeping pill, the time went quickly and I arrived relaxed and ready to explore. American airports are not very people friendly. Singapore's ultra-modern airport invites you to linger with free internet terminals, a cinema, rooftop swimming pool, … [Read more...]
Polar Dreams Iceland
I land with jet lag after a simple 4 hour flight. Too short for sleep and too long to stay awake. There quarters of Iceland is covered in ice yet when we arrive to sparkling Reykjavik, there is no snow. Surely global warming is a reality if there's not even a flake in mid-February! We embark on a city tour to see the famous sites followed by hotel check in and grateful that we are in the heart of town. Everyone enjoys the Viking style … [Read more...]
AFS December Christmas Markets Germany
We arrive in Munich and our guide makes it clear this is Bavaria. This trip Bavarians favor autonomy from Germany and even have their own language. I've been here many times but looking through sober eyes now, I find it more vibrant, clean and sophisticated. We spend 2 days with Nancy, an excellent guide who has already emailed me to remain in touch. I have a mini-group of just 26 so this is like a vacation for me. It's a first time abroad … [Read more...]
Spectacular 5 Country Scandinavian Cruise – Costa’s Atlantica
I've cruised dozens of ships on various lines and in my opinion this is as good as it gets on a mega-liner of 2200+ passengers with 920 crew. Costa's Atlantica was a floating palace of art deco furnishings, marble inlaid floors and millions of dollars invested in original works of art. It exceeded my expectations. Also I normally loose weight on cruises shunning the ships artificial fare. This time I over indulged on varied menus of fresh food. I … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – Pre-Climb
Rainier as seen from start of trail on the way to Camp Muir, and Bergshrund above Ingraham Flats A note regarding the National Park Service links listed on this page. The National Park Service is the most unorganized department for constantly changing links and NOT updating old URL's to point to their new URL's. We like to point our users directly to the correct information and this is a nightmare to keep updated across the articles posted on … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – The Climb
Introduction We stayed one night at Camp Muir, then crossed the Cowlitz Glacier to Cathedral Gap (10,640 ft) and continued along the rock and scree ridge to Ingraham Glacier and Ingraham Flats at 11,100 ft. We spent the rest of the day here, caught some Z's until just past midnight - then left for the summit, reached the top and returned to Ingraham Flats. At this point due to exhaustion we caught some more Z's and then packed up the tent and … [Read more...]
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